Remember Love
by Crystal7
Summary: Follows the 1998 movie version of The Man in the Iron Mask Anne and D'Artagnan share a final goodbye.


Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's Note: Based off of the 1998 movie, "The Man in the Iron Mask."

- Remember Love -

Anne walked out the doors of the church trying to control her tears, D'Artagnan was gone. Killed her son, by his son. She prayed everyday for D'Artagnan's soul. They had sinned in loving each other. Sinned against their king, sinned against their country, and Anne had sinned against her husband.

Anne tried, hard as she might, to believe that what they had done was not a sin. How could loving someone with your whole heart and soul be a sin? She cared nothing for her own salvation any longer, only D'Artagnan's. She had, unknowingly, allowed one son to be imprisoned in a mask, only to become a willing participant in imprisoning the other in the same mask.

She had traded one son for the other. D'Artagnan's sons. "Anne?"

Anne gave a start. She believed she was alone. She gave a noise of surprise, "D'Artagnan." She whispered. He was standing right before her. "Are you – are you a ghost?"

"No," D'Artagnan said, he reached a hand up and Anne pulled back from the warmth, "I am a messenger."

"From?"

"From nowhere, anywhere, everywhere," he said. Anne had never known D'Artagnan to speak in riddles and her suspicions rose. He gently took her hand in his own, "Remember," he said, "Remember us remember our love." He handed her a red rose, as was his custom, and she slowly accepted it.

"I could never forget," Anne whispered.

D'Artagnan took her hand, "Come."

"Where are we going?"

"To our place," D'Artagnan led her from the church into the woods just beyond it. It had been their place for so long.

Anne ripped her hand from D'Artagnan's, "You are not my D'Artagnan," she said with anger.

D'Artagnan's face fell, "Anne," he whispered, "I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that right?"

"You are the work of Satan, ghosts and spirits are not acts of God," she said.

"I thought you gave up on your own salvation," he whispered.

Anne's eyes grew, "How do you know that?"

"I heard your prayer to God," he said and once again, only more lightly and softly, taking her hand, "Anne, do not worry about salvation, yours or mine. We have been forgiven. I died to save Philippe, and for all my sins I have been forgiven."

"You, perhaps," Anne said, "But I have sinned as well, and have yet to redeem those sins."

D'Artagnan pressed his forehead to hers and Anne did not resist. He looked, smelled, and even sounded like D'Artagnan. This couldn't be the work of Satan could it?

Anne squeezed her fingers around D'Artagnan's warm hand, "Where are we going?" He asked.

"To our place," Anne led him through the trees back to the small brook where they had secretly met in weekly in their younger years. They had stopped meeting there not long after the twins were born.

"What changed your mind?" D'Artagnan asked.

"Remember love," Anne said, she kissed him softly, "I do not care for my salvation, you reminded me of that. If you truly are the work of Satan so be it, at least for one moment I shall be happy." She kissed him again.

D'Artagnan pulled away, "I did not wish to lead you back here to-"

Anne pressed a finger to his lips, "Your intentions do not matter," her eyes looked deep into his and she could knew that if she did not act now, she would lose her courage, "what matters now is the time we have." Anne knew she was committing another horrendous sin, but it did not matter. D'Artagnan had come to remind of her of what they had shared and so now he had. D'Artagnan had come to say a lasting goodbye and now he had.

Anne's thoughts drifted off as D'Artagnan continued to kiss her...

Anne awoke with a start. Her breathing hot and the memory of D'Artagnan's kiss still warm on her lips. A dream. It had only been a dream. Anne breathed a sigh of relief. More like a nightmare. D'Artagnan would never come to her in such a manner and she knew that she would never through herself and her salvation away like that.

Anne took a sip of water from the glass on the table next to her bed. She felt uncomfortable and sweaty. She pulled back the covers, once she bathed her face in cool water she would feel better, but Anne stopped short.

Lying next to her, on the bed, underneath her bed sheets was a red rose.

THE END


End file.
